Ink stains and natural upholstery fabrics- What's your miracle?

[ruff]

What is your magic when you're dealing with ink stains on natural upholstery fabrics? (and why do they always have to be on white cottons?

Yes, I know, don't promise much and have them sign a release of liability. Done!

Assuming no glue in backing, solvents may easily lighten the area + disslove and spread the ink. Using an oxidizer or a reducer before, to make the unstained fabric less likely to accept new dyes, may lighten the fabric's color as well as potential rings and shadowing.

Naturally when possible I try to place a vacuum from within the cushion so it goes in while spotting (though one wonders if I should not vacuum from the outside, since that is where the ink came from so therefore it will go through less fabric?)

Rust remover sometime helps (I guess some ink has iron in it)

So what is your secret procedure?

P.S. I do know the power of prayer. No need to mention it though, as I assume we all do in those situations

 

[Desk Jockey]

Well it sounds like you already know the problems with spreading while spotting. I first unzip if it's a cushion and place a towel or plastic behind the spot to keep what ever is in the core from bleeding back through. I like VacAway spotters for ink. Pigout and SpotNBoost have worked better than other ink spotters for me. I put a little on the spot and use a towel and weight to blot as much into the towel as possible before I begin to rinse.

My biggest concern is the halo of lighter area, I can usually remove it or at the very least dim it down pretty good but it can create a spot that draws your eye to it.

Last year we had a small oriental rug that had a fiddy cent sized spot. Looked like a pen had just emptied out on it, they rug guys did not pre-qualifiy before cleaning it and it just exploded to twice the size before we had even talked with the rug owner. We called him, he didn't recall the spot either. This was one big honkin spot, so I worked on it. In the end it was down to half and inch in size but it was brighter there and it just drew your eye to the spot.

The rug owner fortunately accepted the rug, had it been someone else....I'd have had an ink stained rug at the entry to my home.

 

[Shorty]

I do something similar to Richard in regards to going into the cushion via the zipper.

But I insert my "Pancake maker" in there.

I place the holes against the fabric with my vac hose attached, then can pour any solution onto the fabric which will be extracted through the back of the fibres rather than dragging to the face fibers.

Again, like Richard, I use Spot n Boost a lot, as well as Hel Gel, but on microfibers I have found the Cyclone to be very effective as well

Oh yeah, this is my "Pancake maker".

 

[Jim Pemberton]

In addition to the good advice already posted, you could experiment with a water based product that will suspend the ink. Dry cleaners have been using water based ink removers on clothing for a long time now, and as often is the case, our industry catches up with them later.

The two spotters that I've tried with good success are Groom Industries Perky Spotter and Bridgepoint Avenge Pro.

Both take some agitation to create the foam needed to suspend the ink, and you'll be getting the spot wet, so you do have to watch for water marks and browning. If you spray the area with distilled water you'll minimize the water marking potential, and if you pack the area with an absorbent powder when you're done, you'll likely reduce the risks of browning.

What I like about the water based products is that the ink tends to stay in the foam and detergent and not spread and redeposit as readily.

Nevertheless, make sure you aren't going to be held responsible for that small dark blue spot becoming a large light blue one, nor an texture damage that might result from the agitation needed to move the ink into the foam.

 

[ruff]

Thank you

1) Vacuum from within or from outside where the ink came from? Does it make any difference?

2) Do you pre-treat the area around with reducer or 3% peroxide to make the fiber less likely to take on new dye or is it not necessary?

 

[Zee]

Good and useful points.

My issues I think are the setting of expectation levels and prequalifying. When the best of the industry says how there are no guarantees etc, its hard to make a customer sometimes understand the whole problem. So if we try to say something that covers our a$$es, the customer can look at us as incompetent. Because her friend or neighbor had "the same problem" and they called"joe scmoe" and he got it out without waivers and explanations. What they dont get is that "joe schmoe" got lucky and it was a junk synthetic fabric and the ink was not touched before he got to it and the carrier part was still in there etc etc....

 

[J Scott W]

Thank you

1) Vacuum from within or from outside where the ink came from? Does it make any difference?

2) Do you pre-treat the area around with reducer or 3% peroxide to make the fiber less likely to take on new dye or is it not necessary?

Most situations I would vacuum from the backside but it can vary depending upon the amount of ink and the thickness of the fabric.

Well I like StainZONE around the perimeter of the stain to prevent the ink from staining, but if you insist on going generic, use the 3% H2O2.

By the way, if you like Shorty's "pancake maker", I have a few similar tools with a slightly larger paddle surface. Used to sell for $139. First come first served at $99. (This is my personal stuff, not Interlink)